I am not a religious person.

That does not mean I am ignorant nor do I have no knowledge of various religions and beliefs. And no it doesn’t mean I have no beliefs of my own only that what I do have fits into no other religions or has parts of many others.

But religion plays an important part in the world and probably none as much as Christianity. It is at this time of the year, with Christmas upon us that religion is often times forgotten in the midst of Snata and presents and turkey……

So, I must point out that I’m not trying to be offensive in any way. If I do offend then I’m sorry. However I have always prided myself on the fact that I am willing to listen to all viewpoints and all I ask is the same courtesy back.

Now I went to church every Sunday. I went to Girls Brigade, bible study and even spent weeks of the summer vacation in a church led club. I feel I have earned the right to an opinion here.

I always had two major problems with religion. There are many problems that I’ve had but two MAJOR ones.

The first was and always will be that no religion approves of murder, in fact they all consider it a sin of some kind. A sensless waste of human life that God/Gods have created.

My second was always the portrayel of Jesus Christ. Where did this pretty, delicately featured image of a pale skinned, slightly effeminate brown haired man come from? We know from where and when he was born that he would certainly be darker skinned and he would be ‘work roughened’. There would have been no easy gentle upbringing, he would have worked hard and have the callouses etc to show for it.

So the fact that a new image has come to life, a more realistic image is great.

Forensic anthropologist and medical artist Richard Neave used computer tomography, analyzing three skulls from archaeological sites in Jerusalem. To determine the color of his skin and hair, scientists studied drawings from the same time period. The result was a man with dark skin and eyes, short curly hair, a broad nose and a beard. These features, scientists say, are what a first century Jewish man would have looked like. Scientists are calling this the most accurate image of Jesus they’ve ever seen.

I agree.

And if I’m going to hell anyway for my blasphemous thoughts then let me put another thought out there… why is it so hard to believe in the possibility of Jesus having married Mary Magdalene? Ge a grip people, he was a man. In a time when marriage and children were important The idea that he was some virginal man is ridiculous.

So now I’ve riled up Christians i’ll wish you a merry christmas and be done with it!!!

By the way I have no doubts in the presence of Jesus. I just don’t believe he is the son of a God but I see no reason why he couldn’t of been a talented healer and speaker. Let’s remember that for a long time sneezes were considered a way of dispelling demons from the body… Modern medicine was at one point considered miraculous!